The Black Inferno
by Arenhope
Summary: What is love? What is freedom? Plaguing the Uchiha prodigy are these questions, to which he has no answer to.His quest has led him through fire and hell, to arrive at the door of a certain Hyuga.Leaving all dignity behind the two blunder through the maze of life to find their true selves and...happiness. Thankfully Akatsuki is there to help them...which is not as good as it sounds.
1. Itachi is back

Hi. As you may have noticed this is my first fic, so wish me luck.

Yes, with massacre, as Itachi wouldn't be himself without having killed most of the clan, it's who he is and it has shaped him. Yet he is not evil, he is the least evil character in the series, if not sure why, read the manga.

And an explanation of what is happening, otherwise I would confuse a lot of people:

I am picking up from where Sasuke has left to go to Orochimaru and Naruto has returned to the village from Jiraiya. Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto etc. are 16. Itachi is 20. I am not sure about the rest of Akatsuki. Orochimaru and Kabuto have raised an army of the dead and are marching on Konoha and also the Akatsuki. Akatsuki face annihilation as the dead cannot be killed (again) and they (the dead) are highly skilled shinobi. Same goes for Konoha so the two make an unusual alliance to survive. Obviously they don't trust each other. As many are scared of the Akatsuki, especially Itachi, Tsunade tells the truth about Itachi's past (passed down to her from the last Hokage) thus letting Itachi lead a….relatively normal life again. Itachi with Tsunade's help has devised a way of using Shisui's eye to gain an eternal Mangekyou Sharingan so his eyesight is not awful anymore.

SPOILER ALERT

I will try to keep everyone in character including Tobi. Yes, Tobi as Tobi because he cannot reveal himself yet. Itachi knows he is not who he says he is but ignores the fact; it is not as if he doesn't have secrets himself.

With that sorted I'll plunge into the story.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto shippuden or any other products associated with Naruto, Naruto manga or any of the characters.

A lone raven circled the grey morning sky, weaving to and fro beneath the dark clouds. Anouncing the return of a certain tall, dark haired Uchiha. Itachi trudged down the wide path that lead into Konoha. He was going to kill those idiots the next time he saw them. Each of the Akatsuki had made ridiculous excuses as to why exactly they couldn't walk into town with him, just leaving him there to face the toruture alone. _Oh, because shark feeding is so important that it just can't wait for a few hours! And new clay just 'has' to be tried out on the day it arrives not to even mention the baking of chocolate cookies that just 'happens' to be so important. _Itachi was Not a happy bunny. His annoyance intensified as he walked through the gates of the village. Everyone was _staring_ at him and Itachi was not the type of person who enjoyed being looked at, especially not by the gossip hungry citizens of Konoha. It seemed like half the village assembled just to see him return. This was not a good sign, not in the least. By now he was used to whole villages running for their lives when his figure appeared at the gates. Not that he killed any of them, Itachi had very strict guidelines: Only kill the target of them mission, any accidental casualties are not accepted. He simply did not enjoy killing. He knew he was weird and just not normal by that, at least in the eyes of the Akatsuki but he did not care.

Itachi glared back at the the shameless crowd, sending the most faint hearted of them scurrying to the back. He needed to speak to the Hokage about this and soon, before he would be assulted by fangirls just like during the times before the massacre.

He burst into Tsunade's office, finding her sitting at her desk, going over mission reports. "What has happened to my privacy?" He spoke in a dangerously quiet voice. "I thought we agreed that as long as I tell you about my past you would keep the villagers off me?"  
Tasunade sat up "What would you have me do? Forbid the seeing of Uchiha Itachi just like that? It is their village you know, plus some were genuinely happy to see you back and clear your name of the things people have said about you."  
"Hn, like who exactly?" replied Itachi, his anger somewhat lessened but not gone, not yet.  
"Well umm...Kakashi?" Tsunade blurted out.  
"Kakashi hates me, holding me responsible for the leaving of my foolish little brother from team7...anyone else?"  
Tsunade slowly shook her head. "Look, most people are not exactly delighted about the return of an S-classed missing-nin yet they try to acknowledge you, at least try to be nice to them." Itachi Hnned again and strode out of her office, slamming the door.

He walked out and reached the Uchiha compound, his eyes widening as he saw the state it was in.

Itachi was angry, excessively so. Not that it changed the stone like quality his face always possessed but it could be noticed by the sparkle in his right eye and the steady red glow in his eyes, even when his Sharingan had been deactivated. The Uchiha manor had been destroyed. Well, not exactly destroyed but just….decimated. Explosions of colour could be seen where plants have crumbled through walls and displayed their flowers on the other side. Half of the compound had been flooded with water, the other half a sorry mass of stone and what had once been a proud and majestic house has been reduced to a pitiful, hunched over relict of the past. Much like the clan itself.

_This is going to change. Now. _Itachi's eye gained even more red and the black tomoe of the Sharingan had begun to swirl. They expanded to form the Mangekyou. "Amaterasu!" The excess water started boiling. Soon there were only small puddles left here and there beneath the gaze of the now smirking Uchiha. The rest of the day he spent on making the house vaguely habitable, restoring the walls, fixing the many broken roofs and generally making sure that he would not be wet or cold during the night. This was his first night back in Konoha and even though the Hokage had offered some rooms further in the village he refused. This was his home and he was not abandoning it, again.

Itachi recounted the events of the previous months, trying to make sense of the chaos around him. Orochimaru had attacked without warning. One of the Peins had found a shinobi who assulted him viciously and had refused to die. That was when it started. Ever since then they had all been on the run. Konoha had been experiencing the same problems and as none of the parties could find a solution (even Amaterasu failed) they had made a crazy alliance for possible better hopes of survival. Ofcourse that meddlesome woman, Tsunade had known about Itachi's secret and had welcomed him (literarly) with open arms. As if this wasn't bad enough she had also proclaimed this to the whole village, making his life torture. Despite that she had made up for this by restoring his sight. Over a month she had been steadily pumping chakra enhanced cells from Shisui's Sharingan into his own eyes, until he had earned an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Now everyone treated him with a sense of repect and...fear. Not that this hadn't been expected. After killing all but one of his clan members, a clan that had been strong and had the potential for taking over the village, the idea that an individual could do that wasn't comforting in the least. Power did have it's dark side indeed.

Itachi turned as he heard heard a sound behind him. There was a person in the compound. Even though they weren't close he still heard them. He also heard the slicing sound they made, like a blade plunging into flesh. He quickly jumped up and stealthily ran towards the source. His Sharingan focused on the figure bending over something on the ground. It had black hair and a grey jumper. The silver blade shone in it's hand. He stepped on a twig._Damn! _Immediatly he was confronted with the clear eyes of a Hyuga. The steel shovel dropped from her hand. Yes, her, as he could clearly see her face now. _What was it again? Ha...Hatani? No. Hamati? Hinate? Hinata? Hi...Wait, that was it, Hinata. _

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Sorry for the short chapter but there will be much longer ones in the future. I just wanted to get something, anything down. Post your thoughts and if you would be interested in reading more. Much more Ita-Hina coming up and some more...exciting chapters.


	2. First Meeting

Arenhope: Another chapter! I have tried to add humour, I hope it works!

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The Hyuga just stared at him. After a few minutes of this, as Itachi refused to relent and she didn't know what to do, the small shovel slipped out of her hand, breaking the silence and likewise breaking the spell that was holding them in semi paralysis. "U-Uchiha-sama…" She trailed off under the calculating glare of the older male. "Hyuga-san" His deep, surprisingly soft voice replied. "I….I was just tending the roses…they looked so nice and I have been told your m-mother liked them" Itachi glared. For a microsecond his eyes flickered with the Sharingan. He turned his back on the girl in front of him.

_Mikoto on the ground before him. Eyes filled with tears. Her pained sobs begging him to look after Sasuke…the sword…. _

Itachi was slammed back into reality to find the Hyuga had placed a hand on his shoulder and was looking at him with a worried expression. "Hand. Off. Now" He nearly whispered but it had the effect of a shout. The Hyuga stumbled back "I'm s-sorry Uchiha-sama" it was her turn to whisper. She then proceeded to run down the path and through the gates filled with sadness at having possibly hurt him but also joy. _He has treated me like an equal…He said san….Hyuga-san! _

Itachi was left standing there, staring at the roses that up till now had been obscured by the girl's body. They indeed did look nice and reminded him of his mother. The way the petals curled, like her lips whenever she smiled at them. Also like the thorns, Mikoto had a stern side but that was only due to her motherly affection towards her two sons. The roses themselves looked nice, much better than he remembered them. Almost like a defiant stand against the ugliness of the rest of the compound, the clan. Itachi considered this knowledge, the Hyuga girl had tended his clan's roses, a feat strange as the two clans weren't exactly on friendly terms. By the look of it she had been doing this for weeks. A small, almost insignificant spark of affection lit up inside him. _At least one person cares. _

This thought though was instantly stamped out by his never relenting logic drive. _One person isn't going to make a difference, it is a drop in the ocean of loneliness around here._ Itachi shrugged,_ it's not as if I care._ After another few hours of making the house look vaguely liveable Itachi sat on one of the few chairs and mused about head poking. However after about ten minutes of using his superior intellect for this task he heard another noise._ Hn, seems like people can't get enough of me today._ He went over to the main entrance of the Uchiha house and was greeted by a genin wearing goggles. "Hokage-sama requests your presence Uchiha-sama" The genin shouted in what Itachi imagined to be his best 'good soldier' voice. Itachi sighed as he looked at the address the young shinobi offered him. This was going to be ... interesting.

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Itachi arrived in time to be completely stunned by the decor of the room in which the meeting was to take place. Nagato was already there, devoid of the throne, or rather the 'impressive toilet' which was the unofficial Akatsuki nickname for it. Dressed in a dark brown kimono he looked maybe, possibly slightly less menacing. Not that this helped in any way as right now the two Rinnegans were glaring at their surroundings with obvious distaste. The room was painted a bright pink, with images of kittens and puppies on the walls. This was not Tsunade's style, rather Sakura had give her the idea and the Sannin was only now seeing how effective it was. Both Akatsuki members looked very much uncomfortable, though the Uchiha was hiding it well. As for Nagato, he was seething with rage. Not having many chances to hide his emotions which came from not really seeing people much, the Rinnegan user was as easy to read as a book, at least in regards to emotions. Right now he was a mixture of extremely annoyed and shocked, with a filling of disgust and topped off by a wounded pride. Itachi was as shocked as Nagato although Itachi refused to be so obvious about it. Tsunade loved every moment of this. "Welcome to what is now to be the official Akatsuki meeting room" She pronounced in an overly happy voice. Inwardly Nagato groaned, this woman seemed to be bent on making the alliance hell for them. "As you may know" she continued in a more serious voice "the enemies that are closing in on our village are highly trained shinobi. Vastly superior to most of our chounin. Also, there is the slight problem of them missing out on the talent to die. Both these things make them very dangerous" Tsunade loved to treat them like idiots "so expert strategies are needed to be in place to counter this threat. I have chosen for one Akatsuki to be in a team of 25 Leaf shinobi. The Akatsuki will then proceed to distract the target, as all members of your highly foul organisation have a high damage out-put and I grudgingly say that you have the best chances of distracting the enemy. After you have moved in my shinobi will outflank the subject and attempt to seal them. It is not going to be easy but with the teamwork that my side exhibits and the brute strength of your little club we should get through this." Nagato almost lost his cool, almost but with a quick glance at the usually controlled Uchiha he regained his composure. "I am aware of this, Tsunade-san but I doubt the ah...efficiency of the troops from your pathetic little village" Tsunade was not generally as good at controlling her emotions as the two men before her, she screamed at the top of her lungs "So you think you can manage on your own?! Why ask for an alliance then?!" Nagato shut up, although he mentally made a point of removing this annoying female once the terms of the alliance have reached the end. "Uchiha, your mission starts tomorrow, you have been assigned to a combination of Team 8, Team Kakashi, Team Asuma and other shinobi. Amongst the most notable are Nara Shikamaru, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, three shinobi of the Sand, Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata" Itachi's mind jumped at the mention of the Hyuga girl. _This is getting a bit weird...first the roses and now this...I didn't know she was such a fine shinobi, but to how much of that is true I shall see during our first encounter with the enemy. _He quickly revised all that he knew about the troublesome Hyuga. _She seems to be very shy, almost unbearably so. She would obviously have the Byakugan, a fact which I could use to my advantage. Other than that I only know that she seems to like roses. Still, this shinobi could prove to be quite interesting._

He vaguely registered the Hokage concluding the meeting and giving him a file which was supposed to fill him in on the details of his mission. A couple of quick hand seals and he was back inside the Uchiha compound. _This girls just keeps crossing my path, normally this wouldn't be unsettling but this time was different. This time, for once, Itachi was unsure of his next move. _ He dumped the file on one of the small tables. Confused thoughts about reading it later crossed his mind before he lay down to sleep what could have been possibly the only way he knew how. Soon, very soon he was going to find the answers, and this Hyuga girl would help him.

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Arenhope: Another chapter! Longer too, I'm not sure exactly by how much but I think it may be nearly double the previous one. I hope you are enjoying this and are not confused, I try to make everything as clear as possible. Next chapter should be fun, Itachi surrounded by Neji and Naruto and the Sand siblings. Is it just me or is Itachi going to get on really well with Gaara? Just a quick question, I myself like ItaHina a lot, it seems to me the perfect match (well, although Itachi did have a lover before then, but he himself made sure that she won't be in the way :) ) but I also like ShikaTema. Is that a trend for ItaHina fans to like ShikaTema? I don't know. Feedback and criticism of any kind appreciated. See you in the next chapter.

Made a few quick updates (again) and now this is probably not double the last chapter...but oh well.


	3. The Battle of the Black Inferno

Hi everyone, yet another update. This time there is some propper action and a bit more Ita-Hina involvement. Hope you like it.

Lheii78-Thanks, I try :) And of course, Hina only for Tachi :)

Added changes, mainly I took out Sasuke as he came in a bit early, though expect him around the 5th-6th chapter. I certainly do not want to rush this, from now on it will be quality over quantity, so my chapters will probably take longer to come out but (hopefully) they will be better.

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Deidara hated every second of this. He also hated a certain white haired shinobi who thought of this plan and he totally hated the loud girl in front of him. So he was just to sit out here in the open with this….this thing and pretend to be A GIRL!? _Oh yes, because I look perfectly just like I girl? As if. My hair looks nothing like a girl's and I do not totally have temper tantrums! _He thought stamping his foot. Kakashi thought he would be the best candidate for a girl who could handle him/her self in a heated fight. He was also paired with Ino, just for the fun of it. To top it all off they were there to act as bait for Orochimaru's minions. He was revolted by those things even more than he was by Zetsu's clones. _The dead are meant to STAY dead_. Deidara sighed. "Your hair is NOT blonder than mine!" screeched the girl next to him. "I didn't say anything, un!" Deidara jumped back. "You might not have said it but you thought it!" exclaimed the kunoichi with a triumphant smile. "Ha! You're wrong and anyway, mine is longer than yours, un!" replied Deidara. Kakashi smirked when from his vantage point he witnessed the banter continue; now shifting to the topic of highlights. He just knew they were the perfect bait, obvious, loud and seemingly weak, although both could deal with a good number of shinobi. A fine mist had rolled in an hour or so ago but now it was thickening. Itachi stood there, surveying what was soon to be the battlefield. His brother was somewhere out there in the world, being taught by a pedo-sanin. _I just hope he doesn't pick any habits up from him._ While openly declaring his hate for his foolish younger brother in truth Itachi cared about him a lot, perhaps a bit too much. Still, even he, the famous Uchiha Itachi could not keep him from the possessive grasp of Orochimaru. Itachi reviewed the events before the mission, which mainly consisted of a lot of glaring from Kakashi's Neji's and Gaara's part and a lot of ignoring on his part. For some randim reason most of the people near Sasuke's age seemed to hate. Using his Sharingan he scanned the field once more. _Nope, no sign of….wait, what was that?_ A dark, slow moving shape was stalking towards the blissfully unaware blond pair below. Another one joined it….and another one. Soon there was a small regiment travelling towards the still arguing couple. "Ok, now scream about a bit more, they're close" stated Deidara at whisper volume. Ino gracefully consented "You idiot! You have such and obviously washed out blond it's unreal! And unlike mine yours totally fails to make your eyes look good!" Ino smiled, although they would most likely die a slow and painful death soon she could at least have this small pleasure. "Now follow me, un" Deidara ordered and with a few hand seals they were away, yet to any other person it looked like they were still arguing in the middle of the field. The dark figures reached the couple who still seemed to be unaware of the danger around them. One of the shapes tapped Deidara on the shoulder….and proceeded to be blown up along with the rest of the undead troop as the clay clones of Deidara and Ino exploded. The battle had begun. It was time for Itachi to move in.

He quickly jumped down and strode towards the now reforming undead. Clearly, he had a plan, mainly based on fire style jutsu as they seemed to hurt his enemies more and force them to reform for a longer period of time. A cool expression on his face, his posture radiating serenity Itachi approached what can now be only described as a horde of undead. "Katon Gokakyu no Jutsu!" A stream of bright flame erupted from the Uchiha's mouth and bathed the enemies in an orange glow. Soon their forms ruptured under the onslaught of heat yet as soon as that happened they just reformed to stand and walk defiant again. _Hn, this is not going to do the job, I need something even more powerful. _He sent a giant fireball in their direction, only to make it split into ten more and surge at the enemies from all sides. The sealing team moved in but they were too late, the dead shinobi had reformed again and now the Leaf shinobi were also involved in the battle. A blur of faces. Confusion and chaos reigned amongst the charred ground and dead shinobi. Itachi quickly regained his cool. Signalling to Kakashi to remove his shinobi from the battleground he switched his Mangekyou on. "Amaterasu!" The black fire sprang to live, devouring everything in its path. The dead crumbled but soon they were back up again, the fire was just not spreading fast enough. _Damn! What now? ...wait….maybe…._ Itachi scanned the crowd for the Hyuga. He spotted Neji on the ground in a pool of his own blood, yet still breathing and somehow making it through. _No!...maybe her though_. Quickly Itachi found Hinata, surrounded by three undead who were about to kill her between them. Itachi jumped and executed quick, lethal (or as lethal as one can get to for the dead) strikes upon her adversaries. "Hyuga-san, I need your assistance" He shouted above the dying noise of the battle around them, few living shinobi were left on the battlefield as most have moved out, bearing the injured ones. Itachi instructed her to place her palms on his, activate the Byakugan and add to the flow of chakra in his chakra points. The contact brought a spark of feeling shooting up Hinata's arms which was not in the least connected with the flow of energy between them. The way his hands held hers, softly not grasping or crushing her yet still holding her firmly. It almost made her feel….safe. She followed his instructions with haste. "Amaterasu no Tatsumaki! " The black flames started spinning in a vicious tornado. It destroyed everything in its path, eating up enemies and scenery alike. Hinata kept the chakra flow going, wondering at this new and awe inspiring jutsu. Kakashi gazed in respect for the two. _So that's what happens when you put Uchiha and Hyuga together_. Itachi and Hinata looked over the battlefield and then at each other as they stood there, holding hands which was possibly the most ridiculous sight ever seen on a battlefield. Yet for them only this moment mattered. Hinata thought she saw….maybe…possibly a small spark of emotion in Itachi's eyes and Itachi was looking at Hinata's face seeing a hint of acceptance. This was their moment and their Black Inferno they created. This inferno continued to burn away but Itachi no longer had any control. He could feel an unfamiliar feeling, he was passing out. The chakra strain on him was too much, he had taken the burden of creating this jutsu and now it was taking its toll. The last thing he saw before he hit the ground was Hinata's face looking worried. _Why?_

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Itachi woke up in a clean, sterile room that seemed to have only the colour white exhibited in it. _Is this what heaven looks like? I doubt it, I should be in Hell_. He quickly moved away from such thoughts as he noticed he was in a steel framed bed in what appeared to be a hospital. _How?_ "If you are going to ask how or why it is only because Hinata insisted, if it were up to me I would have left you on the battlefield" stated the calm voice of Hatake Kakashi as he leaned over Itachi. There were others too, Deidara and the Hyuga….no, Hinata-san leaning over his bed. She smiled at him one of her unique shy smiles. "It seems that you have again saved the village" pronounced Kakashi "If you hadn't you would probably be dead though I must congratulate you on that inferno, it was quick thinking and quite impressive, maybe you haven't succumbed to the dark side just yet Itachi-san" With these words Kakashi walked out, leaving Itachi with Hinata and the rest of the crowd. Many had just appeared to see the newly hailed 'Magnificent Hero of the Wondrous Inferno' and even though most still remembered his past; the events of a few hours ago cast a new light at the Uchiha, a light that he was not yet sure he enjoyed. Itachi slapped his head in despair, he could already guess which happy go lucky ninja invented the ridiculous name and he also knew it would be very hard to catch him to exact well deserved punishment upon him.

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So, now what I need is people to say whether they liked it or maybe there was too much violence? I am trying to build up my writing stamina so these chapters might still be too short but they are getting longer, each one longer than the last. Could you post me your ideas and thoughts? I really do appreciate. :)


	4. Hinata's World

Chapter 4, it might be slightly depressing. This is my first time that I am writing mainly from Hinata's point of view, I hope its ok. I thought she deserved her own opinion and an explanation for her actions.

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Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto

"Magnificent Hero of the Wondrous Inferno?!" Itachi was beside himself with rage. His controlled face had a shadow of emotion on it and as Kisame well knew, this meant death was sure to follow. "Well we kind of…let Tobi loose on making the posters..."  
"Posters!?"  
"Yeah well, we umm….thought that we might get some of the villagers on your side and…." Kisame just shut up when he saw the look on Itachi's face. The posters were funny at the time but seeing as retribution was at hand the shark ninja beat a hasty retreat with a nervous shout of "Get well soon!"The door slammed, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind. "Call me that and die" Itachi stated in a calm voice. Dangerously calm.  
"So, what was the jutsu then, I didn't know you were capable of something so destructive, un" the voice of the blond artist spoke up. "Hn, if you really want to know here is the basic workings: Amaterasu was just not spreading fast enough to deal with the forces against us, so I improvised and spread it using wind. Now obviously I am not a natural Wind Release user so alone what I did would have been impossible, but I can control Fire and Water and with the help of the Byakugan of the Hyuga I was able to merge Fire and Water techniques to form a Wind technique, which coupled with the Amaterasu managed to make a tornado of fire, an inferno of flames. In short, it was only possible with the help of Hinata-san; the true recognition for this jutsu should go to her." Hinata immediately paled and then went crimson at his remark. _Hinata-san again! _Her feelings of joy were soon crowded with despair as every pair of eyes in the room turned to her yet the pair that made her most uncomfortable was surprisingly not Naruto's but Itachi's. His gaze drilled through her and reminded her of the moment when they were together. Hinata did not yet know whether that made her happy or sad but what she did know was that it made her extremely uncomfortable. "Hey! Well done Hinata, yo!" shouted Naruto, as always over-excited.  
"N-no Narut-to. It's n-not like t-t-that!" She whispered, barely audibly. Everyone's attention was making her stutter more than usual. She made her exit quickly and half-ran out of the room.

Hinata ran through the busy streets of Konoha. The day itself seemed to be intent on making her feel uncomfortable as the blazing sun beat down upon her and her grey and violet jumper. She moved from one place of shade to another, desperately trying to get out of the view of the sun….and the whole world. She was confused. Only a few months ago moments like these would be filled with thoughts of Naruto. He had been her one emotional pillar. The pivotal point upon which all her positive feelings circled, the gravitational pull that her thoughts always orbited. All that had changed that one night.

_Naruto sat there with Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji and Hinata. Kiba and Naruto were trying to outdo each other in a sake drinking contest, Neji was drinking orange juice as his alcohol tolerance was similar to Lee's except for the fact that it sent him to sleep rather than made him hyperactive and Shikamaru was nursing a single small cup of sake, being sensible as always. Hinata was there feeling left out but happy to be near Naruto. "Soooo Naruto…you still like that Sakura?" Kiba slurred.  
"Yup! She is one great girl, yo!" Hinata felt small daggers piercing her heart. Of course, she knew that Naruto liked Sakura but still, the words hurt her though she used all her strength not to show it. "Ahahaha, figures. You know what I've been hearing? A certain Hyuga Hinata has feelings for you baka!" Hinata's cheeks burned. Slowly Naruto's face turned in her direction…and burst out laughing. "Good one Kiba! Keep them coming, yo!" Naruto's face beamed and Hinata's thoughts were on a runaway train. He does not like me….he thinks me liking him is a joke! B-but I do like him, he is my one dream from ever since I can remember! … He is right…this is a joke, I am a joke. I do not deserve him.  
"No no no Naruto! She does like you! Ask her" Kiba was still arguing his point. Promptly Naruto turned back in Hinata's direction but she was nowhere to be seen. _

"_N-Neji-san!" a startled Hinata exclaimed as her cousin came around the corner to find her with her forehead against the wall, hugging herself and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Hinata, what is it? What did they say?!" Neji looked genuinely worried. "I-I am no g-good! E-Even Naruto thinks I ….. I a-am a joke! I am u-unworthy of-f him!" This was bad, really bad. Neji knew Hinata to be depressed before but never to this extent. She had always protected Naruto whenever anyone said anything bad about him but she had no shield against Naruto himself. He bypassed all her emotional defences, almost like he had a back door key to her fort which protected her heart and mind with its walls of stone. Normally strong against anything the one weak point was Naruto and it seems that he was now, accidentally, exploiting it and using it against her. Unknown to Naruto he had just sent Hinata into possibly weeks of agony. Neji had to deal with this and fast. He's had enough of Naruto's every action controlling Hinata's feelings and moods. There had to be a stop somewhere. "Hinata, forget him. He didn't even try to understand you, can't you see that. He chases after that Sakura yet he fails to notice the obvious feelings you have for him. He is not good for you and acting like this he will destroy you from the inside. Come to your senses, you haven't been able to focus during missions for months now because of him. You aren't destined to be with him and you know it. If you were you would have been together long ago but it's obvious that he has no interest in you. Keep him as a friend but no more, or else you will lose yourself." Neji felt bad for such harsh words but what had to be done had to be done. Hinata slowly stopped crying; only letting the occasional sob out. She understood what he meant and was resolved to at least try to forget Naruto. Anyway now that he knew there were hardly any chances of him mirroring her emotions, not that the probability was ever high in the first place. Still sobbing, she let Neji embrace her, for once fulfilling his promise of protection to Hizashi. _

Yes, after that it was never the same anymore. Clearly her emotions for him hadn't died out overnight but slowly they deteriorated, leaving behind only a dark vacuum with nothing to fill it. The little time she spent around him has been riddled with moments of awkwardness. Whenever she approached him he always seemed to busy himself with something else and seeing it was a good method of getting rid of her he mostly busied himself with Sakura. This was cruel, he knew and he wasn't ever doing anything with Sakura anyway yet Naruto was forced into a situation he had no idea how to deal with. A girl liking HIM and not the other way around was a completely new experience and one he still couldn't get his head around. Ironically, while he was still trying to work out a way to make it work with Hinata he had been slowly but surely losing her. She was poking more and more holes in his personality, finding flaws that she couldn't see before and mistakes where before only perfection was. In Neji's eyes this seemed to be like a dream come true, Hinata was smiling again and everything seemed to be taking a more stable route. Unknown to him, Hinata now had a gaping void in her inner self; the place that was before filled with Naruto was now empty. She was trying to cope with it and plastered a smile on whenever she was around anyone. Yet increasingly she had found it harder and harder to make the smiles sincere and the anguish that washed over her whenever she was alone was becoming more powerful every day. She had found a little solace in music, listening to songs that seemed to mend her, yet every day left her a little more broken and beyond repair of even her favourite tunes. That was until she started visiting the Uchiha compound. The run down place produced even more sadness in her, especially with its history but she had taken great pleasure in restoring it. It became her personal mission, a way of proving to herself that she still mattered. That still, in some small way she still had influence over the world and she wasn't insignificant, that she was still there. Every day she would go over and increase the beauty of the place, with every plant, every pebble bringing her closer to her goal. It seemed impossible to her, but in this one thing she was stubborn. Her happiness hung on this one great task and she stood no hope…until Itachi showed up. He was there now, helping her with his power, his greatness. His shadow enveloping her and making her dream possible. She welcomed the help, it was not the kind of thing she could have ever done on her own. Itachi was there, repelling the darkness of the void around and inside her, almost like her own guardian angel.

Hinata reached Kurenai-sensei's house and was attempting to slip in unnoticed when she heard a voice behind her. "What exactly are you doing, young lady?" inquired Kurenai. Kurenai's home was now Hinata's permanent place of residence so the question should have had an obvious answer yet Hinata knew her sensei did not mean that. "I-I just w-wanted….because N-N-Naruto and U-Uchiha-sama and the rest…and th-they think th-that I…" Hinata stuttered with difficulty. Kurenai frowned. Even Hinata didn't stutter this much, something must be having an effect on her and if that something was linked with Naruto and the Uchiha then that meant bad news, really bad news. Obviously this problem couldn't be resolved by merely asking Hinata what happened, she needed to forget about it and quickly too. "You are not hiding at home, again Hinata. Have you forgotten it's the official team get together today? You should be spending time with Kiba and Shino; they are probably worrying about you right now. Also, I have a…meeting with a certain...person so I cannot stay at home with you and at times like these you must not be alone." This said Kurenai locked the door and ushered the Hyuga on. "I-is it Asuma-sama you're m-meeting?" asked Hinata shyly. Kurenai's crystal laugh filled the air around them. "As a matter of fact it is" smiled the sensei. Hinata nodded, so that's why her teacher was in such a good but nervous mood. "Now go along and meet with the rest of the team and if I hear from any of them that you haven't attended, well, I'll leave that to your imagination" Saying that, Kurenai went off, leaving Hinata to stand there looking awkward for a few minutes before finally deciding that a few hours spent with Kiba and Shino wouldn't hurt. She then rushed off as well as she had only five minutes to reach their agreed rendezvous. Shino was already there and Kiba was seen after another fifteen minutes, characteristically late. Kiba then barged into the restaurant while Shino muttered something suspiciously similar to "Ladies first". With that, both Hinata and Shino followed their comrade inside. The interior of the place was well furbished, showing off good taste and giving an air of luxury. While Kiba didn't really ever make a fuss where they ate, Shino was very particular about this and enjoyed the quiet and collected atmosphere of the upper end restaurants. Hinata was all for this as she liked the privacy it gave them. Kiba immediately started ordering masses of nigiri and as soon as the food was brought he started eating at a pace that could only be matched by Naruto. Hinata herself ordered some soup and Shino some strange dish neither of the other two could recognise. "So Hinata, how's Naruto doing?" asked the as of yet unaware and socially tact-less Kiba. "Umm...w-well…h-h-he seems to b-be in good h-health" managed Hinata.  
"Kiba, I suggest we do not go down that path of conversation today. Why you ask? Because as you haven't yet noticed Naruto is a bit of a sore point for your teammate and it is best if you don't mention him" stated Shino in his usual calm voice.  
"Oh...sorry Hinata" Kiba was quick to apologise but the damage was done, Hinata had gone deathly pale and was now staring at a place above Shino's head, lost inside herself. The table was now filled with an awkward silence. Hinata sipped her soup, hoping for salvation to descend upon her and save her from the next few hours of awkwardness. Thus destiny chose to ironically grant her wish as a deep, stoic, controlled voice which had the perfect melody and ideal intonation uttered: "May I borrow Hinata-san for a moment?"

* * *

What do you think? Again, this is short but maybe the next one will be longer.


	5. Her End

Hi...so, another chapter. I have somehow managed to make it more depressing than the last. I find the subject of Itachi's lover interesting and very much unused by other authors. I did not mention her name as it just didn't feel right to invent one for her when it is not mentioned anywhere in the manga or anime...I don't think.

* * *

The now red cheeked Hinata slowly turned around, filled with dread. There he was. She had never taken much notice of his appearance or clothing but now that he was standing less than a meter in front of her Itachi came sharply into focus. He had abandoned his Akatsuki robes in favour of his old ANBU uniform, except it was now painted black with red streaks, which looked disturbingly similar to blood, weaving across it. He had seemingly been issued with a new head protector as this one had no horizontal line scratched across it. Once more he was a proud protector of Konoha…at least in attire. His face, while being generally pale still managed to look healthy and vibrant. His eyes were dark, bottomless pools that at any moment could ignite to burn with a fierce flame of deadly determination, incinerating his foes and granting hope to allies in battle. The tear troughs beneath his eyes were an indication to a secret store of emotion inside of him while giving him the appearance of a much older, wiser person. Perhaps his appearance was finally catching up to his personality, but it had a long way to go yet. All this was finished off with a deadly katana strapped to his back, the sword in perfect shape with a black, polished scabbard retaining the deadly tool of destruction.  
"E-Excuse me?" the small voice of the Hyuga spoke up. Itachi's eyes focused on her…her face…the pale lavender orbs.  
"I wish to use up only a small amount of your time, I assure you that if this was not official business I would not be here" the coldness in his voice astounded her. It was unnatural although it seemed to come casually to him. Hinata was not sure; but if there was anything she was ever good at it was reading people…and the Uchiha seemed to be almost forcing himself to be cold.  
"What do you want with her Uchiha, can't you see she is upset!?" Kiba was desperately trying to make up for his mistake earlier on, yet by doing this he was getting dangerously close to making new enemies: and if there was one person you did not want as an enemy it was surely the Uchiha prodigy.  
"Kiba, shut up, now. Before you offend Uchiha-sama even more" Shino was quick to intercede but the damage was done; now they were all waiting for the tomoe to start swirling.

Itachi studied the young (at least to him) shinobi. He wondered whether to keep up the menacing pose for longer. It was amusing to watch them tremble at what they probably imagined to be his ultimate wrath. _Hn, in that case they don't know anything about wrath, or ultimate wrath for that matter. _In the end Itachi did not Amaterasu them to a cinder, or seal them in a jar of sake that was otherwise known as the Sword of Totsuka. Instead he chuckled, softly and barely audibly but it was there, Itachi was laughing at them while they were there trembling like rabbits before a hawk. Immediately the tension hit rock bottom.  
"Don't worry, Kiba-san, I did not find your comment offensive, even if your manners are lacking." stated Itachi, back in control of his features though the right side of his mouth was slightly higher than his left, an obvious sign to anyone who knew him that he was entertained. Kiba smirked, though he was quick to hide it from Itachi. His voice and manner of speaking were even more formal and upright than his brother's and that was saying something. He briefly wondered if all Uchiha behaved so rigidly in front of everyone.  
"O-Okay Uchiha-sama"  
Hinata was less tense now. There were no obvious hostilities in the room and Itachi did not seem to be angry. The Uchiha smiled a true, genuine smile. The kind that made Hinata feel tugging at the edges of her own mouth, an indication of a matching smile from her if she did not look away. Luckily she quickly looked down and followed Itachi out of the restaurant.  
"Hey, where are you two going!?"  
Kiba had only now realised that Hinata had consented but it was too late, the pair was already outside and by the look of things they were caught up in conversation.

"So, where are w-we going?" Hinata was curious to know.  
"The training grounds in the Uchiha compound if you need to know, Hinata-san"  
"Why do y-you need m-me then?" _Surely I am of no interest to someone like him.  
_"I feel as if I owe you an explanation for what happened yesterday. I demanded a lot of chakra, concentration and skill from you which if we hadn't been in dire circumstances I would have given you more choice about. Also, I have come to speak about your training and your task for the next few weeks."  
"Which is…?" Hinata was beyond curious now, she needed to know. Yet if this was about her training which, frankly she was neglecting it could only be bad news.  
"All will be revealed once we reach the training grounds."  
They continued their journey in silence, with Hinata sneaking quick glances at the man next to her. _The Hokage said he killed all his clan to protect his brother and the village. How can anyone be so cruel and yet so protecting at the same time? Everyone still treats him with fear and caution, doesn't he deserve better than that? He practically saved them…us from destruction and war yet here he is, alienated in his own village which he struggled so hard to protect. Why is it always like this? The strong protect the weak and when they have been finally weakened by this help the ones they were aiding turn on them. _These thoughts were racing through her mind, yet another side was rebelling, fighting her own self in defiance. _How can I think that? This person killed all but one of his clan! He is a murderer. Even with a just cause it could have been surely treated in a different way. His way is not of peace, nor of kindness or compassion. He is the harbinger and dealer of death….and I am following him now, willingly. Why?_

These thoughts circled around her head as they headed closer to the compound, or what Hinata was now coming to think of as the Uchiha's lair. Every step she took increased the feeling of dread within her as the shadow of the Sharingan user fell upon her. They reached their destination.

"So, first of all I guess I have to apologise. I simply used you at the time of the battle and while it was the obvious thing to do that does not make it right. I suppose you deserve the full explanation. I had left out the workings of the Byakugan earlier when giving an overview of what happened but seeing as you are involved it would be wrong of me to keep it from you. It is true that I can manipulate both water and fire jutsus but am not able to merge the two. Each use a different set of chakra paths in my body and so are completely separate. Fortunately the Byakugan can see these chakra paths and the places where they cross over each other and are at their weakest. What you essentially did, though you weren't aware at the time was that you ruptured two chakra paths, one of fire and the other of water at a cross-section in my chakra system. This allowed the two types of chakra needed to fuse and luckily for us make the Wind style chakra needed to make an Inferno. As you noticed, the rupturing of one's chakra paths is not a pleasant experience and I w\s subsequently weakened, much more so then when using the normal Amaterasu. This method, as any self-respecting medic-nin will know is highly dangerous to the body and should not be practiced lightly or often. As it stands that jutsu probably shortened my life by two years if not more. Therefore I will try not to attempt something like that again but it may be needed to repel another attack, as the wave before was formed of mainly genin and lower class shinobi."  
Hinata's eyes bulged; the undead Orochimaru sent upon them induced heavy losses on the hidden leaf ninja. If these were only genin she dared not even try to imagine what would happen if some more powerful, like the seven swordsmen of the mist, showed up. The chances of the leaf surviving would be virtually zero.

"This is where you come in. By training and patience you will be able to make more accurate incisions in my chakra paths, lessening the damage and increasing the effect. The one we released earlier was not very efficient, much of the energy was lost as light and sound but with practice we can improve on that."  
Itachi's eyes peered down at her, those bottomless vortexes drawing her in.  
"That is why the Hokage chose you to be removed from your usual training to be training with me, for the next few weeks at least."  
"At l-least?"  
Itachi's tone was resentful.  
"The faster you learn the less time you have to spend with me"  
"N-no, I did not mean it l-like that Uchiha-sama…"  
"Don't worry about it…call me Itachi, Uchiha-sama sounds too formal for a person with whom you will be training for the next weeks."  
They walked inside the training grounds. For the next hour Itachi had her warming up and doing general exercises, mainly focused on the training of her Byakugan. At first she did not seem to mind, it meant helping to protect the village and the ones she cared for most, even Naruto. While she trained Itachi watched. She reminded him so much of her. Her raven black hair, so dark it was almost blue. That half smile which always graced her lips, even when going through his torturous exercises. The way her brow creased in a determined frown as one of her kunai missed the mark. Those eyes. The world reflected in them and so enhanced by that reflection. In short, it was her back to life. Through those eyes Itachi relived the moment he had not dared tell anyone about.

* * *

_He crouched there, on the window sill. It was meant to be easy, simple; perfect. Yet as soon as he set out he knew that would be impossible. She felt his presence long before he cautiously slid the window pane open.  
"So, you have come for me"  
Her lips trembled. He hated that, this and the whole situation. He hated making her afraid, the one person he could confide in and here he was, betraying her. Itachi slipped inside.  
"Make it quick, end me before I choose life over you"  
The trembling spread through her body and she was shivering now, though the room was warm. Itachi walked up, weapons sheathed. He held her in a tight embrace, the woman who brought heaven closer to him and now made his life hell. Slowly he caressed her body, wanting to be closer to her, to hold her, her thoughts, ideas and dreams in his hands once more. She looked into his eyes, his true eyes. The ones he never showed to anybody else but her. Ones without the Sharingan, without the hate with which the clan was cursed. In them she found only sorrow and a tortured soul upon whom life had played its cruel trick. One who was tossed and drowned by the waves of unchangeable destiny, now only a plaything of fate. She knew he had no choice, but he never had. Ever since his birth he was marked as the true successor of the Sharingan. Ironically, the ones who taught him the trade of death did not know it would be a tool turned against them. _

_His lips brushed against hers. She remembered the times when he had been with her. His face lost the cold setting and came to life. Yet this was only a time for sorrow for her, for pity. Right now he needed her, needed her as a damned soul needs understanding; salvation. He kissed her again, deeply. Eyes locked on to her own he was lost in a real genjutsu, a lie of truth. Finally she broke the contact.  
"Itachi, it is time. If you don't do it now you will never be able to"  
He nodded but she could see he was still blundering through the_ _maze of emotions.  
"Please, end it now. This may be the only way to save the village and your brother."  
This brought him back to his senses. As much as he loved her he loved his brother more. If he ever had to kill for her he knew he could massacre for his brother. Slowly, the blade slid out of its sheath. Tears streamed freely down his face, flowing down the two lines of his face burning him with their cool indifference, scorching him with their ice.  
"Lay….lay down"  
This was the first time she had heard him halt when saying anything. Shame it was going to end here, it was such a beautiful sound.  
She lay down on the mat on the floor and at his indication crossed her arms.  
"Close your eyes, it will make it easier"  
The velvet of his voice curled around her ears, tugging at her senses as the words stoked the fire of her emotions. Still, she refused.  
"No…If there is anything I want to see before leaving this world it is your eyes, not the darkness that waits for me on the other side."  
Itachi inclined his head, his lips trying to form words but unable to do so. He raised the katana above his head, the point trembling and constantly changing direction, as if even his sword was unsure of this and wanted to lead itself away from her form.  
"Itachi… I love you!"  
She whispered her last words as the blade came down to rest in her heart. He kept looking into her eyes, it was her last wish and he could not tear himself away from them. _

_Her world tilted at an angle, she was losing her grip on reality. At first there had been pain but that soon was cancelled by a fiery coldness leaking into the core of her being. She numbly felt Itachi carefully lift the sword out and look into her eyes. /Itachi…you were always the dream that I lost every time I woke up. Now, in this endless dream, I hope I will find you again. Forever. / _

_Itachi saw a dark cloud come over her eyes. It was spreading and so was the sorrow of his heart. He cradled her in her last moments, whispering her name and as it slowly lost meaning and form, becoming only a long lost idea of indistinct edges. He cradled her as her arms clung to him, reaching for his face but unable to break the waves that were crashing down upon her. He cradled her as she paled, her crimson life now written on the blood which was soaking the floor and him, mixing with his tears. He cradled her as he finished the story of her life with one final dot . In all his life he had never loved her as much as he now did in death. _

* * *

Itachi looked up, feeling a hand touch him. There she was, standing in front of him.

* * *

Now I just have to decide on the type of relationship I want him to have with Hinata. I don't yet know if I should make her as a replacement for his last lover or as something completely different to help him forget. Tell me which one would work better, this is very important as to how the story will progress, as if she is a replacement he could be in constant delirium to whom he actually loves, Hinata or her. If she was something that only helps him to forget then while she might, possibly love him he would just be using her. Thoughts?


	6. Sasuke

Hi. So, another chapter...By the way you may have noticed that the way this story is going, Hinata and Itachi are getting along really slowly. As I plan for this to be more of an extended project they will slowly get to know each other, through catalysts such as Sasuke or Itachi's past or the soon to be Hinata's party. Thank you for all the reviews for the last and other chapters. A quick rundown:

MinaSmile209-Not much I can say apart from: Thanks for enjoying! I tried to update soon but I was performing at a concert and had tons of work to do...plus I have taken a quality over quantity approach, focusing on making my chapters better than just forcing them out really quickly. That said, I do try to get these up as soon as I can.

bianca504billiot- True, a replacement would be a bit obsessive, but at the same time I imagine Itachi to be one of those people that keeps on loving his lover/wife/partner even after their death. This whole story is about the two overcoming their problems and desires, finding each other and generally trying to piece life together, all wrapped up in the chaos of war...and evil-revenge-seeking brothers with the Akatsuki there to add humour, an excuse for Itachi coming back and trying to show that they are not all monsters. I always find that the most flawed characters are the most interesting and fun.

KagomeMarie-That was fully intended in the last chapter. I wanted to show how Itachi is scarred by the past. What really struck me was perhaps not that he killed all of his family but that he had also killed his lover. I could only imagine Itachi letting someone who he really loves into that kind of zone, he isn't exactly the most social type out there so to love someone that much...and kill them, it had to be depressing and tragic for him. Also making it quite fun to write.

I do try to add bits of humour in but I'm not sure that this is really my style.

* * *

He looked at the hand, a stable bridge between him and her, the one thing to anchor him from drifting away on his emotions. She mistook the look for one of disapproval.  
"S-Sumimasen Itachi-sama, I was o-only…"  
He silenced her with a finger on her lips. He placed his own hand on hers, securing its place on his left shoulder. If anything he was glad for the contact, it brought him back into reality and gave him the, possibly false, idea that at least now he was not alone.  
"Do not apologise, I don't mind"  
The stood there like that for a minute, Itachi lost in those lavender orbs, letting himself drown into that sea of calm as Hinata looked up into his ebony eyes, pools of unknown water and uncharted boundaries in which she was reflect so clearly. Hinata coughed lightly, shattering the moment. Itachi withdrew his hand and broke the passage between his eyes and hers.  
"Well, I think you did well in the training. It is never good to push yourself too hard on the first day so for now you are discharged. Meet me here at eight in the morning."  
She stared at him quizzically, eight was an insanely late time for most shinobi to start practicing, many starting missions as early as five or some even four in the morning. Seeing the look she was giving him Itachi smiled the kind of smile that shows a bit of joy and embarrassment at the same time, while being topped off with a hint at his true thoughts.  
"I am not a morning person." He said simply, with a shrug of his shoulders.  
Hinata smiled back, yet hers was a lot less sure and a lot more confused. _Is this really the fearsome psychotic Uchiha prodigy? _

Itachi watched the Hyuga, who was essentially now his pupil go. She was so alike to his former lover, so similar yet completely different. Except for the fact that she was completely not his lover...despite the frequent looks he sent her…and the way he enjoyed the contact between her…or how he thought the world reflected perfectly in her eyes…. He walked from the training grounds, thinking about his old life and how ironically it came back to haunt him.

* * *

The cloaked, jet black haired shinobi walked down the procession of black, deserted streets. There was only a sliver of the moon left, yet it gave plenty of light for his Sharingan enhanced eyes to see. The buildings around him were buried in a thick, humid fog that slithered down the lane in front of him. The silhouette of the dark Uchiha manor peered out of the obscuring mist. It was time.

Itachi was meditating in the ruin that was the once beautiful garden of the Uchiha. Veins of water bled down the surrounding statues, depicting great warriors with various bits of their anatomy missing, anything from arms and legs to heads and entire torsos. The wall of rain did little to disperse the creeping fog, snaking its way around him, crushing him in its blind grip. Itachi remained unaffected, despite the rain, fog and freezing weather he had been here for the last two hours and showed no signs of movement, the only hint at life could be noticed by the shallow breathing and the slow, steady rise of his chest. He was already wet to the bone, his hair plastered to his head.

If he had not spoken Itachi would not have noticed. In fact, there was a good chance he would have been dead as his trance left him defenceless, making him the perfect target and now the optimal time to strike. Yet this was impossible due to the sheer arrogance of his enemy. Instead of, like a true ninja, attacking him without warning, launching a few kunai at him before spearing him with a katana which if it hadn't killed him would have left Itachi severely injured; the adversary announced himself, which was just a mark short of blowing a fanfare and begging to be detected. The famous words with which Itachi was hailed were, in fact quite pointless and needed some serious adjustments, showing that this insensible shinobi didn't even know how to make decent entry lines if he was going to go in announcing himself. The lack of practice and clear void of inspiration was apparent when the words, which merely stated a fact, came out.  
"So, you're here."  
Itachi slowly opened his eyes, no sign of a Sharingan in them.  
"As perceptive as ever; Sasuke"  
Wasting no time, Sasuke launched into what could only have been a speech he practiced every day just for this moment.  
"Itachi, for the pain you have caused me, the deaths of those dear to me and the slaughter of our clan I will end you"  
Itachi smirked at this amateur speech, his foolish little brother still had a long way to go… Sasuke launched himself at Itachi, pulling out his sword and scything it down upon his brother's head. Itachi did not move. At the last second he blocked it with a kunai, throwing Sasuke back. The Sharingan begun to swirl open, then into a Mangekyou. They stared at each other, Sasuke trying to stare down Itachi and the Uchiha prodigy refusing to be intimidated. For a second Sasuke thought he saw a shadow of a smile on his older brother's face, but concluded that it must have been the light.  
"Katon Gokakyu no Jutsu!"  
"Katon Gokakyu no Jutsu!"  
The two jets of bright orange flame crashed into each other, evaporating the rain and making a huge white cloud of steam. The heat was rising…

* * *

Hinata lay on her mat, thinking about her odd training session with Itachi-sensei and how strangely he had been acting. _Well, he has always been strange…but stranger than normal this time. Something must be troubling him; I just wish I knew what it was. _She could tell that it was something linked to his past and that was probably the main reason she chose to forgive him and think of him as maybe not as a good, but certainly not as a bad, person. _He has been haunted by the past for what must be years now; if it hurts him so much he couldn't have done it out of selfish reasons. _

There was also one other justification for her forgiving him. The way he looked at her a few hours ago; it made her feel….needed. It was well concealed underneath a mask of indifference, coldness and grief but a hint was there, telling her that she was essential to him. At first Hinata just dismissed it as a need of purely official nature, as with Neji out of action for another week or two she was the only Byakugan user whom he could use for his jutsu. Yet now she wasn't so sure. That last look he gave her, the way he latched onto her hand even though only a few days ago such contact was abhorred by him, now it seemed that he almost wanted her to be there, that she was in some was in some way, shape or form a part of what was keeping him together. That in itself was strange as they knew each other only a few days, though it did seem to her that she knew him for years. Hinata turned on her side, evasive sleep slipping from her grasp.

She walked over to the window, slid it open and breathed in the freezing night air laced with mist. Something drew her attention. There was a feeling of dread in the stillness of the dark night. Hinata gasped as she saw a huge pillar of steam rising above the buildings in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Riding on the crest of one the few rare moments of bravery she put on her ninja clothes, strapped on her equipment pouches and set off to investigate.

_I just hope Itachi-sensei is ok…_

* * *

The heat was coming off in waves from the blaze. Among the statues and broken monuments the two Uchiha were bound by spouts of searing fire. Already the ground was charred; the stones broken and the few plants around were disintegrated. Sweat poured down Sasuke's face. He knew his brother was winning, the opposing fire was getting closer and soon only a cinder would be left of him. Thankfully Sasuke had prepared for this moment, knowing full well that Itachi favoured the Katon as one of his favourite jutsu.  
"Chidori!"  
Ribbons of electricity wove themselves into the fire of Sasuke's Katon. Itachi's eyes widened, this was not something he was expecting. Clearly his foolish little brother had a little cunning and quite a bit of skill as Itachi's fire was pushed back at him, at an alarming rate. He knew Sasuke was using insane amounts of chakra by linking Katon and Chidori, his stamina was admirable but Itachi wasn't planning on dying just yet. Itachi closed his left eye. His right eye started bleeding. Capillaries showed up black around the active Mangekyou Sharingan. A shift in the air.  
"Amaterasu!"  
The black fire spiralled in the jet of flame, the ebony strands drinking up the dying fire as it was slowly suffocated by the ribbons of death. Tentacles of oblivion stretched out in Sasuke's direction, spilling over the blaze he had created and burning his arms, face and body. Soon there was nothing left of him but a blackened wreck that was mostly ash and blood, yet still managed to moan somehow. Itachi smirked.

Just then the dead body burst into a cloud of smoke. It was a clone. Itachi's head whipped around but he was too slow, Sasuke was already there. Sword out of its sheath, shuriken screaming through the air Sasuke was coming at him like a steam train of retribution. First one, then the next of the throwing starts hit Itachi's chest, embedding themselves in his body, making blood gash out of the deep wounds. Sasuke's sword was soon to follow, the deadly blade leaving deep gashes on Itachi's neck and sides before coming to rest slightly to the right of the centre of his torso. His heart.

Sasuke nearly jumped in triumph. He walked over slowly, full of arrogance to his beaten enemy. Kneeling down he felt for a pulse, submersing himself in the lake of crimson around Itachi. The body was stone cold. Just to be sure Sasuke scanned the body and area with his Sharingan. No, everything was fine, no sign of life at all….. _Wait, no sign of life?!_ Sasuke's breathing quickened. There was nothing, no life at all, no sign of any life form, however insignificant. Not even a bug. He looked down at Itachi, now filled with fear. Sasuke knew that something was not right, even abandoned as it was the Uchiha manor must have had a few animals and the plants themselves should have been giving off life pulses, yet there was nothing.

He noticed the blood in which his hands and the lower part of his attire was soaked. Was it just his vision or was there less before. Ignoring such thoughts Sasuke looked around, trying to make sense of it all before a cold sensation dragged his attention back to the blood. He could see it; there was certainly more of the ruby fluid than there was before. It was slowly slithering from the tips of his fingers up his arms. It was becoming colder and colder yet nothing he did had any effect. He abandoned his over garment only to find the blood on the inside too, creeping up his body. He could feel it slightly below his neck. Slithering.  
Sasuke was panicking now, not only could he not do anything to stop the spread of the blood on him, he couldn't move. Something cold touched the lower part of his ear lobe. The blood was now on his neck, moving up; covering his face, obscuring his eyes. Sasuke screamed, the blood pouring into his mouth as he heard his brother's voice, a whisper in his right ear.  
"Tsukuyomi"

* * *

Itachi heard footsteps behind him just as he managed to place Sasuke on the bed. The battle had taken a lot out of him and he was still under the effect of the genjutsu, as he would be for the next few hours. Hinata landed next to Itachi. His deep voice filled the room:  
"What are you doing here?"  
Hinata blushed; she had no credible reason to be here except for the excuse of her curiosity. Yet judging by the amount of damage the two Uchiha had created just from that short battle her being here was only a minor problem.  
"I saw a pillar of smoke a-and…"  
Hinata's face still glowed with the rosy pink hue of embarassment. Her true reason for being here was to check if Itachi was ok and that nothing had happened to him. _I was foolish; of course nothing could happen to him, he is Itachi-sama_. Now seriously regretting coming here Hinata stuttered. Seeing her obvious distress Itachi just dismissed her excuses with a "Hn" and looked back at Sasuke who was thrashing on the bed, still caught in the bonds of Tsukuyomi. That had been the plan; ever since the coming to Konoha he had set his mind on capturing Sasuke. He wished he could have used a gentler genjutsu than Tsukuyomi but it was essential in the end, Sasuke had prepared well and only the most powerful genjutsus could bring him down. Itachi and Hinata left Sasuke behind and walked out of the house.

Itachi caught himself, yet again staring at the girl in front of him. There was just something about her that made his eyes slide over to her, for no logical reason whatsoever. She was like a huge magnet to which he was attracted, a pull of such force that it left him defenceless at her sight. He couldn't describe exactly what it was that made her so…special. It wasn't her hair, dark and shining as it was, nor her eyes which looked like a twin pair of full moons. He smiled at the comparison. If her eyes were like the moon then that surely made him a lunatic. It also wasn't her voice which was always so quiet, so unsure yet it carried with it a strength which he knew so well, one that he had to arm himself with in the past. It was none of them but at the same time all of them which forged a link between him and her, a bond which they weren't yet fully aware of but one that was maturing, shedding its cocoon.

Hinata noticed Itachi looking at her. While dragging her down with dread his gaze was also giving her a feeling of strength. She had only ever felt like that from Naruto, yet this was different. Here was a person who not only believed in her but was making her believe in herself. For a brief moment Hinata felt something that she had not felt for a long while now, contentment. Yet it passed like a train, speeding off into the distance, unreachable now that it had passed and only leaving behind a trail to prove that it had been there.  
"Err, Itachi-sama?"  
"Just call me Itachi, please. We're familiar enough."  
Hinata wondered at this breach of formality yet it filled her with joy. If someone of his skill was bringing her up to his standard….  
"Itachi…well….I was wondering….could y-you possibly c-come to my birthday party t-tomorrow?"

* * *

Even more battles and so on in this chapter. I find them quite fun to write and they do make up about half of Naruto so it would be hard to avoid them. Thanks for reading , the next chapter should be up soon...ish.


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